The European Space Agency (ESA), together with MediaTek, Eutelsat, Airbus Defence and Space, Sharp, Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), and Rohde & Schwarz, has completed the world’s first successful test of 5G-advanced non-terrestrial network (NTN) technology over low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
The trial, conducted using Eutelsat’s OneWeb satellites, marks a major step toward integrating satellite and ground-based 5G networks under the latest 3GPP Release 19 standards. This technology will enable global broadband connectivity, reduce access costs, and allow 5G devices to connect seamlessly through both satellite and terrestrial networks.
The test linked OneWeb satellites — built by Airbus — with MediaTek’s NTN chipset and ITRI’s ground network system. The setup operated in Ku-band with a 50MHz channel bandwidth and demonstrated a key 5G-Advanced feature known as conditional handover (CHO). Sharp developed the flat-panel antenna used in the trial, which connected to ESA’s ground station in the Netherlands.
The project was supported by ESA’s Space for 5G/6G & Sustainable Connectivity programme, part of the agency’s Connectivity and Secure Communications directorate.
ESA said the milestone highlights Europe’s growing leadership in integrating space and telecommunications technologies. “This innovative step proves why collaboration is essential to boost Europe’s satellite communications competitiveness,” said David Phillips of ESA.
Partners described the achievement as paving the way for next-generation broadband, improving connectivity in remote areas, and advancing the global rollout of 5G and future 6G services.
The ESA program aims to merge satellite and terrestrial systems to deliver continuous global coverage, supporting applications such as telemedicine, autonomous transport, and smart infrastructure.
